Andy Parker, father of Roanoke, Virginia TV reporter Alison Parker who was shot to death by a disturbed former co-worker during a live on-air interview Wednesday morning, appeared on Fox News the same night to announce that he plans to devote his life to the cause of gun control.
The segment in which Parker appeared was quickly followed by an interview with Fox News commentator Dana Loesch, who said that guns were not to blame for the horrifying murder of Parker and WDBJ-TV camera operator Adam Ward, but rather the killings were the responsibility of organizations such as Planned Parenthood who, Loesch said, “don’t teach a respect for life.”
Parker and Ward were killed by a former WDBJ reporter named Vester Flanagan II, who used the professional pseudonym Bryce Williams and who was fired by the station about two years ago due to continued conflicts with other employees.
Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly told Parker, “I want to give you the chance to offer your message, because it must be so hard to come on television hours after you’ve lost someone,” offering him the opportunity to speak about gun control uninterrupted.
“I’m not going to let this issue drop,” Parker responded. “We’ve got to do something about crazy people getting guns. And, you know, and the problem that you guys have is that — and I know it’s the news business and this is a big story. But next week it isn’t going to be a story anymore and everybody is going to forget it.”
The grieving dad then said that he would make it a personal mission to “shame” political leaders into passing gun regulation laws.
“You mark my words, my mission in life — and I talked to the governor today. He called me and he said — and I told him, I said, I’m going to do something, whatever it takes, to get gun legislation to shame people, to shame legislators into doing something about closing loopholes in background checks and making sure crazy people don’t get guns. And he said, you go, I’m right there with you. So, you know, this is not the last you’ve heard of me. This is something that is Alison’s legacy that I want to make happen.”
Flanagan made two video recordings of himself committing the murders, pointing his handgun at Alison Parker, who appears not to notice his presence until the camera points at her and he fires. Andy Parker, in an earlier interview, compared the videos posted on social media by Flanagan, to ISIS beheading videos.
[Image: Fox News Screen Grab]
